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Neiman Marcus Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
The luxury department store chain succumbed to its mounting debt and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Neiman Marcus recently opened a 188,000-square-foot store at Hudson Yards, New York’s new upscale shopping center. The luxury department store chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday.
Dallas—Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday amid its struggle with mounting debt coupled with the “unprecedented disruption” caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The luxury department store chain said it plans to reorganize and emerge from bankruptcy by the fall.
Neiman Marcus, like so many retailers, temporarily closed its 43 locations in response to the pandemic and furloughed 14,000 workers.
The closures, which include Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Last Call stores, have been extended to May 31 in light of health and safety concerns, said the company, adding that reopenings will not be affected by the bankruptcy proceedings.
The retailer is continuing sales through its e-commerce sites, and is offering curbside pickup at 10 stores, including all stores in Texas, as well as in Tampa, Las Vegas and at its Tysons Corner store in Virginia.
As of Monday, the Atlanta and NorthPark (Dallas) Neiman Marcus stores are available to customers by private appointment.
RELATED CONTENT: So Long: The Big Stores We Bid Farewell to in 2019CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck said in a press release the company was making “solid progress” toward long-term profitability and sustainable growth until COVID-19 hit.
“We are facing unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has placed inexorable pressure on our business.”
The retailer has secured $675 million in debtor-in-possession financing— a type of financing extended to companies in distress that is overseen by the lender and subject to court approval—from its creditors to keep itself afloat through bankruptcy.
Creditors have also agreed to a $750 million financing package to refinance the DIP financing and provide the retailer with additional liquidity.
The bankruptcy filing is expected to eliminate around $4 billion in debt, said the company.
Neiman Marcus said it plans to emerge from bankruptcy in early fall.
It’s the second major retailer to file for bankruptcy recently, joining J. Crew, which went Chapter 11 earlier this week.
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